Today I stood on top the world looking out over the Coste, the canyon below the hilltop town of Trivento in Molise. Early in the morning when I met my guide, a young man bursting with ideas and enthusiasm on how to move Molise forward.
Coffee and a very tasty brioche in a local bar were the best way to start the morning which was initially grey and overcast. However once fuelled with fresh coffee I was given a comprehensive and enlightening tour of the local area.
It was a joy to meet someone so keen to tell me about their ideas on what can and should be done to create tourism in the area, something it needs NOW.
Trivento, which translates literally as Three Winds, sits proudly and definitely as do most of the towns and villages here, waiting patiently as time ticks by hastening further the decline of so many houses in the old part of the town.
Stone and mortar have stood the test of time, but sadly now as the population of the town has declined over the past twenty years as it has across the region.
The old town is dominated by an incredibly beautiful church of immense proportions. Apparently, there has been a church on the site for over a thousand years, and below the foundations are remains of an ancient temple which predates Christianity.
The church is dominated by a fresco in the dome where a dove transcends to the heavens. When you stand to stare up at it seems to take your heart with it to soar out above the world beyond.
In complete contrast, the church also houses a crypt where you can walk amongst the columns beneath the transcript and altar. The stones are a testament to the age of the ancient building holding the faith and belief of so many who have prayed in hope and often desperation within its walls.
Back outside in the piazza in front of the church clearly displays the changes that have been made over the years. You can the differences in the stones, and styles of craftsmanship used to rebuild it over time.
Continuing to walk around the old town there are so many houses for sale waiting for somebody new to come along to breath new live into their empty rooms, throw open their shutters and help them live again.
The emptiness resonates but welcomes you as turn each corner, flowers still blooming in rocky crevices giving colour to the grey stone. The town has seen so much over so many years, giving safe haven to its residents in times of war and strive. Now it is ready to receive the footsteps of others who want to soak up it's history. It needs tourists as does every tiny hamlet and village in the region.
People who appreciate what was once there. Those interested in art, nature, history, and a simple beauty which transcends over Molise like a cloak from the past.
As the morning mist lifted we stood looking out over the parapets of the town over the valley which sweeps down to the Trigno river in the bottom. A rainbow appeared over the forest below bringing a rich array of colour to the greens of leave and bud.
Perhaps someone will find the gold at the bottom of the rainbow and use it to restore Trivento to it's former glory.
Let me know what you think.....
Coffee and a very tasty brioche in a local bar were the best way to start the morning which was initially grey and overcast. However once fuelled with fresh coffee I was given a comprehensive and enlightening tour of the local area.
It was a joy to meet someone so keen to tell me about their ideas on what can and should be done to create tourism in the area, something it needs NOW.
Trivento, which translates literally as Three Winds, sits proudly and definitely as do most of the towns and villages here, waiting patiently as time ticks by hastening further the decline of so many houses in the old part of the town.
Stone and mortar have stood the test of time, but sadly now as the population of the town has declined over the past twenty years as it has across the region.
The old town is dominated by an incredibly beautiful church of immense proportions. Apparently, there has been a church on the site for over a thousand years, and below the foundations are remains of an ancient temple which predates Christianity.
The church is dominated by a fresco in the dome where a dove transcends to the heavens. When you stand to stare up at it seems to take your heart with it to soar out above the world beyond.
In complete contrast, the church also houses a crypt where you can walk amongst the columns beneath the transcript and altar. The stones are a testament to the age of the ancient building holding the faith and belief of so many who have prayed in hope and often desperation within its walls.
Back outside in the piazza in front of the church clearly displays the changes that have been made over the years. You can the differences in the stones, and styles of craftsmanship used to rebuild it over time.
Continuing to walk around the old town there are so many houses for sale waiting for somebody new to come along to breath new live into their empty rooms, throw open their shutters and help them live again.
The emptiness resonates but welcomes you as turn each corner, flowers still blooming in rocky crevices giving colour to the grey stone. The town has seen so much over so many years, giving safe haven to its residents in times of war and strive. Now it is ready to receive the footsteps of others who want to soak up it's history. It needs tourists as does every tiny hamlet and village in the region.
People who appreciate what was once there. Those interested in art, nature, history, and a simple beauty which transcends over Molise like a cloak from the past.
As the morning mist lifted we stood looking out over the parapets of the town over the valley which sweeps down to the Trigno river in the bottom. A rainbow appeared over the forest below bringing a rich array of colour to the greens of leave and bud.
Perhaps someone will find the gold at the bottom of the rainbow and use it to restore Trivento to it's former glory.
Let me know what you think.....
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